I be Alverna. I’m 27 and live in Dayton, Ohio with my hubby, two dogs, two cats, and a flock of chickens. I am outgoing, sensible, opinionated, impatient, outspoken, independent, compassionate, obsessive compulsive, nosey, and a tom-boy. I get called "Alie", "Vern", "Big Al", and "Pickles" because for some reason "Alverna" seems to be a mouthful.

Half-vampire Cat Crawfield and her vampire husband Bones have fought for their lives, as well as for their relationship. But just when they’ve triumphed over the latest battle, Cat’s new and unexpected abilities threaten to upset a long-standing balance . . .

With the mysterious disappearance of vampires, rumors abound that a species war is brewing. A zealot is inciting tensions between the vampires and ghouls, and if these two powerful groups clash, innocent mortals could become collateral damage. Now Cat and Bones are forced to seek help from a dangerous “ally”—the ghoul queen of New Orleans herself. But the price of her assistance may prove more treacherous than even the threat of a supernatural war . . . to say nothing of the repercussions Cat never imagined.

I wrote a nice review of this book, but then internet-land ate it. Grrrr!

Suffice to say, This Side of the Grave renewed my love of Jeaniene’s sarcastic wit, ability to craft passionate, yet epic love scenes, and write a damn good story. I love Cat and Bones and am always impressed at their growth as a couple. Jeaniene proves that there’s much, much more story to tell even after the tension and build-up of the “lets get together” stage is over. In This Side of the Grave, Cat and Bones learn more about each other, meet some spooky supes (teehee), and the supporting characters just get better and better.

Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It’s gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie’s estranged father–an elusive European warlock–only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it’s her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters.

By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire student on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect.

As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her.

Eh, I gotta say Hex Hall didn’t do that much for me. It reminded me a lot of Marked (House of Night series by P.C. and Kristin Cast) and Fallen (by Lauren Kate) and Need (by Carrie Jones). I obviously dig YA fantasy books, but this formula (high-school-chick-gets-into-trouble-and-gets-sent-to-boarding/far-away-school-and-doesn’t-fit-in-with-popular-girls-but-falls-for-hottie-boy(s)-and-then-gets-wrapped-up-in-some-sort-of-supernatural-danger) is so stinkin’ overdone it’s just not even funny anymore. I wanted something unusual to happen so badly that I finished the book, but–seeing as nothing particularly unique occured–I won’t be reading the sequel.

As a total aside–and just to prove how neurotic I am–it also really bothers me that there’s a cat sitting next to Sophie on the cover when the author made a point to say Sophie is allergic to felines. Also, wouldn’t that mean she’s allergic to the mountain lion shifter girl, too?

Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she’ll be the mate of alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers.

But when she violates her masters’ laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything— including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?

Nightshade is an intriguing read that draws you in and becomes very difficult to put down. Especially now that the YA fantasy genre is being flooded with new books as fast as they can be written and published, Andrea Cremer’s book is refreshingly original and well-written.

Calla, the heroine, is both unique and complex, while the supporting characters are well-fleshed out and multi-dimensional. The love triangle is frustratingly well done. And by that I just mean that Calla doesn’t know whom she prefers and neither did I as the reader. Both boys have a lot going for them, so there’s no clear front runner. Since her relationship with each boy develops simultaneously, there’s also no “timeline advantage” given to either one.

I found the first few chapters slightly confusing, because Cremer drops you in the middle of Calla’s world and you have to figure out the details as you go. Thus, it takes a little while to figure out what’s going on. (It was actually a little refreshing to have to figure details out on my own. I’m tired of YA lit “writing down” to the reader. I’m a big girl, I can think for myself!) Overall, I thought Nightshade was a captivating story and am looking forward to getting my hands on the sequel, Wolfsbane.

As an aside, I’m pretty sure I have cover-lust…and whoever designed Nightshade‘s cover deserves a serious end-of-the-year bonus.

Working as a Hound-tracing illegal spells back to their casters-has taken its toll on Allison Beckstrom. But even though magic has given her migraines and stolen her recent memory, Allie isn’t about to quit. Then the police’s magic enforcement division asks her to consult on a missing persons case. But what seems to be a straightforward job turns out to be anything but, as Allie finds herself drawn into the underworld of criminals, ghosts, and blood magic.

Perfect beach reading, Magic in the Blood was a fun, enjoyable read. The issues I had with the first book (constant use of the expletives “good loves” and “sweet hells” and problematic memory loss) are toned down a bit in the second book. We learn a little more about Mr. Jones, Allie’s father, and the world of magic/Hounds that Allie moves in.

What if you knew exactly when you would die? Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb — males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out. When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden’s genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape — to find her twin brother and go home. But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden’s eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limited time she has left.

If Cassia of Matched and Katniss of The Hunger Games had a love child, it would be Rhine of Wither. (Yes, I dig the YA dystopian fantasy scene.) I pretty much read Wither in one sitting, and was sad to see the last page.

DeStefano’s strongest skills are her character building and character relationships. Her weakness is in her world building. Let’s face it, she doesn’t appear to have put a whole lot of time and effort into developing her dystopian society, or the cause of said society’s downfall. That said, she is mighty good at the things she does well. It’s Rhine’s relationships that drive the story. And DeStefano’s prose is fantastic. She uses the pages of her book to create and shape her readers’ emotions, and it’s a beautiful thing.

Allison Beckstrom’s magic has taken its toll on her, physically marking her and erasing her memories-including those of the man she supposedly loves. But lost memories aren’t the only things preying on Allie’s thoughts.

Her late father, the prominent businessman-and sorcerer-Daniel Beckstrom, has somehow channeled himself into her very mind. With the help of The Authority, a secret organization of magic users, she hopes to gain better control over her own abilities-and find a way to deal with her father…

Magic to the Bone and Magic in the Blood (books 1 and 2 of the Allie Beckstrom series) were just OK for me. Enjoyable reads, but nothing to write home about.

Book #3, Magic in the Shadows, is the one that hooked me. Loved it! I have some others at the top of my TBR pile, but once I’m done with them I’ll definitely be back for books 4-7 of the series.

It’s been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam’s life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard’s rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia’s home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future–and each other.

Told from Adam’s point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.

I’m torn over how to describe my feelings about Where She Went. It wasn’t If I Stay, and I didn’t connect with the characters in the same way as with the first book. Perhaps it was the change in narrator, or maybe it was just that Adam experiences a different kind of agony than Mia did. Regardless, I didn’t feel the same awe I felt for If I Stay after reading Where She Went. That said, it’s still an amazing and well-written story. I highly recommend both books!

Nora Grey’s life is still far from perfect. Surviving an attempt on her life wasn’t pleasant, but atleast she got a guardian angel out of it: a mysterious, magnetic, gorgeous guardian angel. But, despite his role in her life, Patch has been acting anything but angelic. He’s more elusive than ever and even worse, he’s started spending time with Nora’s arch-enemy, Marcie Millar.

Nora would have hardly noticed Scott Parnell, an old family friend who has moved back to town, if Path hadnt been acting so distant. Even with Scott’s totally infuriating attitude Nora finds herself drawn to him – despite her lingering feeling that he’s hiding something.

Haunted by images of her murdered father, and questioning whether her nephilim bloodline has anything to do with his death, Nora puts herself increasingly in dangerous situations as she desperatly searches for answers. But maybe some things are better left buried, because the truth could destroy everything – and everyone – she trusts.

Oh lordy, where to begin? See I have this thing about writing negative reviews. I just feel rotten…like I’m backstabbing the author. I know they worked hard on the book and it’s their baby and…and…and.

Here it goes…

Cons:
~I understand that most YA books are written to a 4th grade reading level (give or take). That said, Ms. Fitzpatrick seems to be writing for your average 4-year-old. Seriously.
~I guess because your average 4-year-old is entertained by detailed descriptions of how to make spaghetti in the microwave, and what shoes go with what outfit, and how to apply make-up in a manner that hides dark circles, Ms. Fitzpatrick includes them.
~But then you get to the end of the book where the angel lineage is explained and Ms. Fitzpatrick goes all whack-a-doozy on us. Just how were we supposed to keep that all straight? Who’s related to whom, who’s baby-daddy disowned them, who’s didn’t, blah, blah, blah. I was going a little cross-eyed trying to keep it all straight. Not because it was THAT difficult to understand, but rather because it really didn’t add up to the rest of the story.
~Besides constantly thinking about making out, Nora’s mental age is pretty close to the targeted reading age. Actually, I might have to take that back–I’ve known a few 4-year-old girls who were all about making out with boys.
~The only times Nora goes to the library are when she’s about to be attacked in the dark. I’m not kidding, it’s literally every time. You’d think she’s learn. I think even a 4-year-old could put two-and-two together.
~Nora’s BFF Vee is a major pet peeve of mine. Not her personality (which, believe it or not, actually kind of works for me), but the whole fat issue. So not cool to keep bringing it up, Becca. In the last book, you should give her a smokin’ hot, intelligent, non-homicidal boyfriend to make it up to her. Also, everyone in the book should compliment her at some point.
~After reading Hush, Hush, I so wanted to like Patch. But he seemed like such a pushover in this book. Bad boy + pushover does not equal hotness. And then he started invading Nora’s dreams and I’m sorry but that’s just creepy.
~Nora really needs to learn some boundaries when it comes to sneaking around at night. Breaking into people’s houses isn’t cool. And someone should give that girl some mace for her birthday!
~Speaking of parental duties, where the heck is Nora’s mom? It seems the apple didn’t fall far from the tree, but after 17 years of parenthood, you’d think she could keep better track of her kid.
~Paragraphs like this: “I hung up and did a quick inventory of my closet. I decided on a pale pink cami, a miniskirt, opaque tights, and ballet flats. I sprayed perfume in the air and walked through it for a light, grapefruity scent. In the back of my mind, I wondered why I was spending the time to clean up for Scott. He was going nowhere in life, we had nothing in common, and most of our brief conversations included flipping insults at each other. Not only that, but Patch had told me to say away from him. And that’s when it hit me. Chanced were, I was drawn to Scott because of some deep-rooted psychological reason involving defiance and revenge. And it all pointed back to Patch.”

Pros:
~If I had liked this book for anything more than mild entertainment, I would have been PISSED OFF at the cliffhanger ending. As it was? I said, “Oh noes, she didn’t!” and then went to go find myself some lunch.
~After finishing Crescendo (and finding some lunch), I read a few of the Goodreads reviews and laughed more than I have in a month. Dude, funny shiznit! It’s worth reading the book just to enjoy the utter hilarity of the reviews!
~Yes, I will be reading the final installment. Why? Hey, it’s entertaining and will make good beach reading. And then I can read snarky reviews and laugh some more.

In a single moment, everythingchanges. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck…

A sophisticated, layered, and heartachingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make—and the ultimate choice Mia commands.

If I Stay is a heartfelt, genuine exploration of family, relationships, music, life, death, and love. Since I am admittedly uncomfortable with the subject of death, particularly unexpected deaths, I began If I Stay a little hesitantly. My trepidation , however, slowly eased as Mia’s story unfolded.

One of the things I loved most about this book was Gayle Forman’s characters. They are written so exquisitely, I felt as if I knew them personally by the last page. Some spoke to me so distinctly as to remind me of my own nearest and dearest.

Examples:

“We met…Dad at the birthing center, which was nothing like a doctor’s office. It was the ground floor of a house, the inside decked out with beds and Jacuzzi tubs, the medical equipment discreetly tucked away. The hippie midwife led Mom inside and Dad asked me if I wanted to come, too.” [My mom is a midwife who runs a birth center on the ground floor of her house…and she was a bit of a hippie back in the day.]

“…Mom was ferociously protective of the people she loved, so much that she took insults upon them personally. Her friends sometimes called her Mama Bear for this reason.” [This is totally my friend Terra.]

“…She was another tough-as-nails, tender-as-kittens, feminist bitch.” [If someone described ME this way, I would be honored.]

~

Sure, If I Stay is a tearjerker–that’s a given. But it’s so much more. I’ll definitely be re-reading it and would love to add a copy to my bookshelf–which is the ultimate compliment I can extend to any book.

The Dead Tossed Waves (The Forest of Hands and Teeth #2) by Carrie Ryan

Gabry lives a quiet life. As safe a life as is possible in a town trapped between a forest and the ocean, in a world teeming with the dead, who constantly hunger for those still living. She’s content on her side of the Barrier, happy to let her friends dream of the Dark City up the coast while she watches from the top of her lighthouse. But there are threats the Barrier cannot hold back. Threats like the secrets Gabry’s mother thought she left behind when she escaped from the Sisterhood and the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Like the cult of religious zealots who worship the dead. Like the stranger from the forest who seems to know Gabry. And suddenly, everything is changing. One reckless moment, and half of Gabry’s generation is dead, the other half imprisoned. Now Gabry only knows one thing: she must face the forest of her mother’s past in order to save herself and the one she loves.

As another reviewer put it, The Dead Tossed Waves completely owned me. All I can say is thank God I started it on a Saturday, because I couldn’t put it down and ended up reading it straight through in one sitting. It’s been a while since a book has done that to me! I thoroughly enjoyed this one and cannot wait to bring my requested copy of The Dark and Hollow Places home from the library.

Zara White suspects there’s a freaky guy semi-stalking her. She’s also obsessed with phobias. And it’s true, she hasn’t exactly been herself since her stepfather died. But exiling her to shivery Maine to live with her grandmother? That seems a bit extreme. The move is supposed to help her stay sane…but Zara’s pretty sure her mom just can’t deal with her right now.

She couldn’t be more wrong. Turns out the semi-stalker is not a figment of Zara’s overactive imagination. In fact, he’s still following her, leaving behind an eerie trail of gold dust. There’s something not right – not human – in this sleepy Maine town, and all signs point to Zara.

In this creepy, compelling breakout novel, Carrie Jones delivers romance, suspense, and a creature you never thought you’d have to fear.

How about a little pixie urban fantasy? Keep in mind that we’re talking about the nasty, blood-sucking kind of pixies here, not cute little Tinkerbell pixies. In genre and style, Carrie Jones reminds me a little of Holly Black. However, the characters and plot have more in common with Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series, though the comparison should end there in my opinion. While I won’t rave about Need, it was a quick, enjoyable read.

My overall impressions:

Pros:
~Glitter
~Hunky werewolf hotness (a la Jacob Black)
~Girl with a conscience crusading against the world’s evil
~Spunky girl-power grandma
~Nasty pixies with silver eyes and pointy teeth who want to either poison you with their kiss or suck your blood

Cons:
~Predictable plot
~Silly inaccuracies (i.e. Ian is described as being tall with LONG legs, yet in the next sentence it’s noted that he’s the point guard on the basketball team.)
~Character inconsistencies (i.e. Nick goes all serious and decides that he and Zara must proactively leave the relative safety of the house to hunt the pixies down. Yet as soon as they get in the scary woods–where the pixies hide out–they abandon all pretense of pixie-hunting in favor of a makeout session. WTF!?)
~The world’s most devoted puppy dog. It would make me feel claustrophobic more than turn me on. Just sayin’.

It’s time for me to genre hop for a bit, as I’m getting a little burnt out on the YA fantasy stuff. But when I come back I’m looking forward to picking up the sequel, Captivate.

Using magic meant it used you back. Forget the fairy-tale, hocus-pocus, wave a wand and bling-o, sparkles and pixie dust crap. Magic, like booze, sex, and drugs, gave as good as it got.

Everything has a cost. And every act of magic exacts a price from its user – maybe a two-day migraine, or losing the memory of your first kiss. But some people want to use magic without paying, and they Offload the cost onto innocents. When that happens, it falls to a Hound to identify the spell’s caster – and Allison Beckstrom’s the best there is.

Daughter of a prominent Portland businessman, Allie would rather moonlight as a Hound than accept the family fortune – and the strings that come with it. But when she discovers a little boy dying from a magic Offload that has her father’s signature all over it, Allie is thrown into the high-stakes world of corporate espionage and black magic.

Now Allie’s out for the truth – and must call upon forces that will challenge everything she knows, change her in ways she could never imagine … and make her capable of things that powerful people will do anything to control.

I found Devon Monk’s Allie Beckstrom books by accident via one of my favorite urban fantasy authors, Ilona Andrews. I’m head-over-heels in love with Kate Daniels, Ilona’s strong female protagonist, and I was hoping for a similarly fun, adventurous character to tide me through until the next Kate Daniels book came out. (I know, it’s not really fair to evaluate one book/character against another, but I can’t help myself!)

While Allie doesn’t compare to Kate in terms of character development and all-round awesomeness, Devon’s world building is intriguing and nicely done. In my opinion, it’s the best part of the story. Allie has some trademark expletives–“good loves” and “sweet hells”–that quickly go from quirky to annoying. And her memory loss, while essential to the plot, became frustrating at times.

Overall, Magic to the Bone was a fun, light read but didn’t have that “can’t put it down” quality I’m always searching for in a book.

Riley has always wanted to be a Demon Trapper like her father, and she’s already following in his footsteps as one of the best. But it’s tough being the only girl in an all-guy world, especially when three of those guys start making her life more complicated: Simon, the angelic apprentice who has heaven on his side; Beck, the tough trapper who thinks he’s God’s gift, and Ori, the strikingly sexy stranger who keeps turning up to save her ass. One thing’s for sure – if she doesn’t keep her wits about her there’ll be hell to pay…

So maybe this is a sign that I’m getting indecisive in my old age, but I’m having a hard time making up my mind about The Demon Trapper’s Daughter. Don’t get me wrong, I was enough of a fan that I’ll definitely pick up book #2 when it comes out in the fall. And I’ll pick it up with high hopes for its awesomeness.

This first book has a lot going for it–namely a spunky yet relatable heroine (Riley) with clear goals in life (voila, instant plot), as well as lots of drama and a good dose of bad luck. There are plenty of interesting guys, including a caring father, a long-time best-friend-who-might-want-to-be-more (Peter), and 3 (yes, three) good-looking guys who think she’s hot stuff. Hunky hero #1 (Beck) comes with a dark and secretive past and a parent complex, hunky hero #2 (Simon) supplies the goody-two-shoes persona and golden boy charisma, and hunky hero #3 (Ori*) is our tall dark & handsome Mr. Mysterious. The demons she hunts provide both adventure and a bit of humor here and there.

DTD truly is a good story, with a well-built world, so why wasn’t I in love after finishing it? Well, for one I wasn’t a big fan of Riley’s internal monologue. Here she is, this strong young woman who is (trying to be) mature beyond her years, both because that’s just who she is and because of the hard knocks life’s dealt her. And yet her internal monologue sounds like a 12-year-old’s.

Example:

What is it with these people? Do they, like, give them happy pills or something?”

I don’t know, but I get this feeling that YA authors think they have to use young and hip language in order for their teenage characters to feel authentic. I obviously shouldn’t be commenting on the topic (did you note my opening comment?), but I can assure you that EVEN at that age I NEVER thought or talked like that. Sure, some girls did, but they weren’t the kind of girls I hung out with…or want to read books about.

Second, Ms. Oliver needs to hire a new editor. OK, I’m overly anal, but the missing commas, lost periods, and incorrect pronouns (Riley became a “him” at least once) really detracted from the story.

That said, I will still recommend DTD to my YA paranormal/urban fantasy-loving friends 🙂

*I was amused by the use of the name “Ori”, as I very briefly dated an “Orie” in college.

~

4.5.11: So I felt the need to update my DTD review. After I read the book, I wasn’t convinced that the book was wonderfully awesome. Good? Yes. Awesome? Hmm, maybe. But now? Time to upgrade to “awesome!”. Why the change of heart? Well, since I read a lot, I have a tendency to forget details of previous books after I start a new one. (Dude, I can only have so many characters in my head at the same time!) I’ve read 6 books (8 if you count the two I’m currently reading) since finishing DTD and I STILL can’t get Riley out of my head. Nuff said.